UV excitable fluorescent energy transfer dyes

Abstract

Novel energy transfer dyes which can be used with shorter wavelength light sources are provided. These dyes include a donor dye with an absorption maxima at a wavelength between about 250 to 450 nm and an acceptor dye which is capable of absorbing energy emitted from the donor dye. One of the energy transfer dyes has a donor dye which is a member of a class of dyes having a coumarin or pyrene ring structure and an acceptor dye which is capable of absorbing energy emitted from the donor dye, wherein the donor dye has an absorption maxima between about 250 and 450 nm and the acceptor dye has an emission maxima at a wavelength greater than about 500 nm.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An energy transfer dye comprising:
 a donor dye which is a member of a class of dyes having a coumarin or pyrene ring structure; 
 an acceptor dye capable of absorbing excitation energy emitted by the donor dye and emitting light in response, the acceptor dye having an emission maxima greater than about 500 nm; and 
 a linker linking the donor dye to the acceptor dye which comprises a five or six membered ring selected from the group consisting of cyclopentene, cyclohexene, cyclopentadiene, cyclohexadiene, furan, thiofuran, pyrrole, isopyrole, isoazole, pyrazole, isoimidazole, pyran, pyrone, benzene, pyridine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, oxazine, indene, benzofuran, thionaphthene, indole and naphthalene. 
 
     
     
       2. The energy transfer dye according to  claim 1  wherein the donor dye has an absorption maxima at a wavelength between about 250 and 450 nm. 
     
     
       3. The energy transfer dye according to  claim 1  wherein the donor dye has an absorption maxima at a wavelength between about 300 and 450 nm. 
     
     
       4. The energy transfer dye according to  claim 1  wherein the donor dye has an absorption maxima at a wavelength between about 350 and 400 nm. 
     
     
       5. The energy transfer dye according to  claim 1  wherein the acceptor dye has an emission maxima at a wavelength greater than about 550 nm. 
     
     
       6. The energy transfer dye according to  claim 1  wherein the acceptor dye has an emission maxima at a wavelength between about 500 and 700 nm. 
     
     
       7. The energy transfer dye according to  claim 1  wherein the acceptor dye has an emission maxima at a wavelength at least about 150 nm greater than the absorption maxima of the donor dye. 
     
     
       8. The energy transfer dye according to  claim 1  wherein the donor dye is selected from the group consisting of coumarin, pyrene and pyrene sulfonate. 
     
     
       9. The energy transfer dye according to  claim 1  wherein the acceptor dye is a member of a class of dyes selected from the group consisting of fluorescein, rhodamine, asymmetric benzoxanthene, xanthene, cyanine, phthalocyanine and squaraine dyes. 
     
     
       10. The energy transfer dye according to  claim 1  wherein the acceptor dye is selected from the group consisting of 4.7-dichlorofluorescein dyes, asymmetric benzoxanthene dyes, rhodamine, 4,7-dichlororhodamine dyes, carboxyrhodamines, N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylcarboxyrhodamines, carboxy R110, carboxy R6G, carboxy-X-rhodamines and Cy5. 
     
     
       11. The energy transfer dye according to  claim 1  wherein the acceptor dye is selected from the group consisting of R110, RG6, TAMRA and ROX. 
     
     
       12. An energy transfer dye, comprising:
 a donor dye which is a member of a class of dyes having a coumarin or pyrene ring structure; 
 an acceptor dye having an emission maxima at a wavelength of greater than 550 nm; and 
 a linker linking the donor and acceptor dyes. 
 
     
     
       13. An energy transfer dye, comprising:
 a donor dye which is a member of a class of dyes having a coumarin or pyrene ring structure; 
 an acceptor dye having an emission maxima that is at least about 150 nm greater than the absorption maximum of the donor dye; and 
 a linker linking the donor and acceptor dyes.